Time management

As an Australian (13hr+8hr ish flights back to back, one way, to go to Europe), these are my tips:

1. From the moment your flight takes off, set your phone time to destination. Plan to sleep and eat accordingly. This is a jet lag hack, but somehow it helps on the flight itself too. Noise cancelling headphones and eye mask help with this.

2. Somewhat contradictory- look at the time as little as you can. Relax into the idea that you just live on this plane now. Clock watching is demoralising and induces a white knuckling feeling. You live on the plane now, relax in.

3. Seat choice matters! If in economy 3-4-3, the aisle of the middle 4 tends to be the best because you have only one stranger to deal with. (Even better if you’re travelling with someone you know - edit: saw you’ll be in flat lay seats, which should mean this isn’t a problem!)

4. Drink more water than you ever would and the toilet breaks will give you the movement you need.

5. Before the flight, find some relaxing music and train your body to relax to it. If restless mid flight, pop it on and your body will respond.

6. When you arrive, get as much sunlight as you can. Do not nap unless you arrive first thing in the morning, in which case you can have a 1-2hr nap but you must wake up and stay up until evening.

7. Soft, loose clothing is ideal.

8. Some sort of wrap/pashmina scarf is nicer than an airline blanket.

9. What you want to watch/read/listen to is somehow different than normal. I love sitcoms on a plane, the way I might if I had the flu. Even if you aren’t usually a back to back movie watcher, you might stumble onto something on in flight entertainment and just go with it. Download whole seasons of shows in case the mood takes you.